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Head Coach Mike Tolkin will likely sit down with attack coach Tony Smeeth
and work up a better offensive approach. Eighty points in seven games will
not do the job, and Smeeth has to be under scrutiny for how the offense -
usually with a lot of possession - has performed.

Smeeth has to find something that gets the ball over the line - and it
seems obvious that getting more runners surging onto passes from the rucks
would make sense. The USA attack near the tryline is too static, and too
unimaginative.

The players are also under pressure. Twice, now,
Folau Niua has entered the game late, taken over flyhalf, and energized the
offense. If players knew more about how he plays, some of his breaks could
well become tries. Even if Niua has 7s responsibilities, he has made an
excellent case for himself to be the USA 15s flyhalf. Toby L'Estrange
played better against Canada, but his form has been off all year.

Don't forget Adam Siddall is still in the mix.

Chris Wyles did well at outside center, and with Blaine Scully playing so
well at fullback, and poised to improve as he plays for Leicester this
fall, the outside backs could be set.

In the forwards, the big question seems to be whether Peter Dahl can handle
the openside position. He has not become the ball-poaching machine he needs
to be, but he gets involved i a lot of rucks. Can he build on that work
rate, or does someone like Cam Dolan step in?

Up front, Titi Lamositele will only get more minutes, while Eric Fry will
not. Fry just doesn't have sufficient lateral agility, and it has been a
rough year for him. Lamositele not only got his foot in the door, but is
shoving it open. He is only 18, but he plays with much confidence, and
physically he will only get stronger.

And finally, should Todd Clever be the No. 8? That's what he wants to be,
that's for sure, but he has often played his best as a #7. If Samu Manoa is
on the squad, his strength and power on the pickup might be a welcome
asset.

With the USA probably good enough to beat Uruguay comfortably in next
year's second round of RWC qualifying, now is the time to make changes in
both the playing and the coaching.